Things can get pretty weird when fictional characters are endorsing commercial products. Turns out that decades before Spider-Man and Batman were fighting evildoers over Hostess fruit pies and Twinkies,Sam Spade was getting some payola action for endorsing his favorite hair tonic: Wildroot Cream-Oil.

Even though the stories are beyond ridiculous,these pages are pretty well drawn.The art has been attributed to the great Lou Fine!

In the first of three full-page ads, Sam Spade shows that a guy can fight crime and look good at the same time...thanks to Wildroot Cream-Oil!

Check out the full page below:(Click on the image below for a BIG-sized comic scan!)

The second adventure in grooming follows the same ridiculous pattern...

Check out the full page below:(Click on the image below for a BIG-sized comic scan!)

...but by the third page, Sam Spade is actually fighting crime with his trusty bottle of Wildroot Hair Cream! And he's got pretty good aim, too! Tommy guns don't stand a chance against a guy who knows how to handle a bottle of hair tonic!Check out the full page below:(Click on the image below for a BIG-sized comic scan!)

I just can't help but wonder what Dashiell Hammett thought of these tales. By the way -- Wildroot Hair Groom is still available at your local drugstore! ...although now it kinda looks more like a bottle of ArmorAll or transmission fluid than anything else!

These scans are from DC Comics'A Date With Judyissues 4, 6 and 10 1948-49

UPDATE: Ger Appledorn has just posteda whole bunch more of theseSam Spade Wildroot ads at -